[ale] Linux for sale

[Geoffrey Myers]

Lex Spoon wrote:
> 
> >  Even If it IS for sale....no one buys it like they buy M$
> > "software".  I was in Micro Center in Marietta, they sell Redhat
> > 4.2, Slack 3.3, InfoMagic's latest "version" (6.0 is it?), and
> > Debian.  They also sell Applixware 4.3 for Redhat.  Funny thing is
> > the shelves are always stocked with it because no one buys it
> > because its not widely accepted, (then again, "widely accepted"
> > would be Windoze 95 presently) and the fact that the average
> > computer user would have no clue how to operate Linux. (partially
> > because the average computer user is using an MS-related operating
> > system by default, and that they dont know that there are other
> > options.)  So I dont think stores sticking it will have much affect
> > unless more computers start having Linux preinstalled.  Then again,
> > this is just my thoughts.
> 
> On the contrary, I think it makes a serious difference.  If Linux is
> to take over the world, yes, there needs to be an easier option to
> have it preinstalled.

I would agree with you.  I think the first step would be a preinstalled
dual-boot of MS win95 and Linux. You know, you walk into Best Buys or
whoever and there it is, a Packard Bell PC with 6 gig of disk and TWO
operating systems. There aren't any vendors out there that are willing
to go the preinstalled Linux route, but maybe they could be convinced to
go the dual OS route.  Not to mention the fact that when you talk about
dual-boot, you get a lot of ooohhs and aaahhs from folks.  We're not
there yet, but it could be close...

> 
> But that's in the distant future.  The biggest problem right now is
> that no one (percentage-wise) has heard of it.  If it's on the store
> shelves in pretty boxes, the the drones who are running the computer
> industry (ie, the ones who think of software like books), will have a
> framework to put Linux in.  They can think about just going to the
> store and buying Linux, just like all the other packages.
> 
> But, in disagreement with a lot of people, I don't care about people
> knowing about Linux in particular, even though I'm a huge Linux user
> myself.  What I care about is people being concious that there ARE
> other operating systems, and that people can have the choice over
> which to use, if the industry only decides to give them that choice.
> 
> Can you imagine a world where hardware comes with example source code?
> Where applications are written to portable, well-specified API's?  Heck,
> where applications come with full source code??
> 
> To me, this is the grail.  A world dominated by one brand of Linux is
> still half as bad as a world dominated by MS Windows XYZ-of-the-day.
> But a world where all software is open to the tickerings of
> wireheads....  Ahhhhh :)
> 
> lex

-- 
Until later:
Geoffrey Myers   geof at abraxis.com	http://www.abraxis.com/geof

	Opinions expressed by me are mine, all mine, only mine.....